Strap On The Feed Bag At The Feed Mill

Whenever I travel around the small towns of central Texas, it’s almost a prerequisite I have to try a local foodie favorite. We all know that in every small Texas town you can’t throw a rock without hitting a BBQ or Mexican joint, so when I’m asking locals I make sure to ask about places that aren’t exclusively one or the other. But in Gatesville I didn’t have to. Overwhelmingly I was told I had to try The Feed Mill.

Located in the once thriving G.P. Schaub Milling & Grain Company building, the grain storage bins still towering over the building, The Feed Mill is the quintessential Mom & Pop small town dining experience with building character & decoration plus well made menu items. I was surprised to find it only been open for about 6 years because it seemed to me to be a place that’s been there for generations.

With several of us eating we were able to try a variety of items on our first visit here. I went with the staple of the Texas diner, the chicken fried steak. But I was warned the large was a LARGE serving, and seeing as I didn’t want to fall in to a food coma afterwards, I went with the small. Once on the table, it didn’t fail my “Texas Chicken Fried Steak Standards”. The batter surrounding it wasn’t hard crunchy like a lot of people (over)prepare it. It was just right with a texture that held up to the delicious cream gravy but melted in your mouth. And the waitress was right. If I’d gone for the large I probably would have taken a nap afterwards in my truck in the parking lot.

There was also a Texas “Que” Burger, chicken strips, & hand battered onion rings on the order. The burger was one of many specialty burgers on their menu. Served on Texas toast with pickles, fried onions, sauce, & cheddar cheese, we found it quite tasty. Next trip I’m going for the Southwest burger on a jalapeno sourdough bun with chipotle sauce and pepper jack cheese.

When it comes to onion rings I’ll admit I’m super picky. Too much batter and not enough onion will not do. Not the case here. Thick cut rings, battered with that same texture from the CFS, had me, as Phil Robertson would say, “Happy, happy, happy”.

Chicken strips and the accompanying fries were excellent. That is according to my teenager because they never let me have any, though I did steal a fry or two.

There’s much more on the menu than just CFS and burgers. Everything is fresh and made from scratch. Hand cut steaks, seafood, fresh vegetables, great staff, delightful atmosphere. It all adds up to one great dining experience. Two Forks Up!

After nearly 3 decades in the broadcast & entertainment worlds, “PC” made central Texas his home. He created CenTexFun.com in 2015 because he saw no one was adequately covering the local entertainment & other fun things to do right here in his own backyard. He enjoys live music, fun times, and good food!